RV Podcast #212: You’re Never Too Old!

One of the things we RVers invariably ask ourselves at some point is, "How long will I be able to keep on doing this?" Well this week, in our interview of the week, we're going to hear from an RVer who says, "As long as you're moving, you're never too old." Plus, a report on 5G, the blazingly fast new mobile Internet network launching this week and what it means to RVers. Plus lots of your questions, RV News and tips and another wonderful off the beaten path report from the Burketts. Show Notes for Episode #Oct. 3, 2018 The RV Podcast: WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK MIKE Can you believe it’s October already! JENNIFER One of my favorite times of the year for the RV Lifestyle. I love fall camping! MIKE We’re headed to California this week and the 66th annual California RV Show at the LA Fairplex in Pomona. Although Hershey calls it’s September show the World’s Largest RV Show and Tampa’s RV Supershow in Florida every January says it is bigger yet, there are many who think the California show is really the biggest. Big it is, too. The show covers over one million square feet of displays and includes a large exhibitor tent featuring countless accessories and aftermarket products to personalize RVs, plus 40 informative seminars on a variety of RV-related subjects. JENNIFER There’s lots of convenient parking and easy access to the show is assured with three entrance gates. There will also be three food courts for hungry show goers, and entertainment for everyone from free Ferris wheel rides, meet and greet celebrities, music and an amazing archer. The show runs from Oct. 5 through 14, 2018 at the Fairplex in Pomona, Gate 9. Show hours are 10AM until 6PM daily. There are supposed to be 1,300 new 2019 models on display and a bunch more 2018s and earlier, so just in terms of space and the sheer number of RVs on site, this show promises to be every bit as big as Hershey, if not more. MIKE We will be doing meet and greets both Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend, October 6th and 7th. You can find us at the Roadtrek Display and the Mike Thomson dealership space there. For those of you in different parts of the country, we will be doing our regular Sunday night Ask Us Anything YouTube live broadcast from the California RV Show at 4PM Pacific, 7PM Eastern this Sunday night. JENNIFER We are really looking forward to attending this show and meeting folks. Adult admission to the show is $15; kids 17 and under are free. There’s lots of RV Parking available. You can save $2 by purchasing tickets online at californiarvshow.org This promises to be a lot of fun, we’ve wanted to get out to California for this show for years. MIKE Something else we are really excited about is the publication of our book, “A Beginner’s Guide to Boondocking.” We thank you for all those early buyers who have been sending us such kind reviews but it really was a labor of love. We’re asked all the time how do I start out boondocking so we sat down and did a guide, covering everything on managing power use while camping off the grid, to meal prep, handling water needs while boondocking and much more. JENNIFER I think what people will like the most is our suggestions on how to find the perfect boondocking spot, whether just as an overnight stop, or a place to really get away from it all deep in the woods for a few days. We also address the safety issue and candidly talk about what it’s like to be off the grid, both the challenges and the benefits. MIKE We have special introductory pricing on it that will expire in a couple days, but if you want to learn more about it, go to https://rvlifestyle.com/boondocking JENNIFER We should also give our weekly update on Mike’s Healthy Eating plan. If you heard Episode 208, you’ll remember Mike sharing how all that traveling and eating on the road has caused him to gain much more weight than he wanted. He resolved then to go on a healthy lifestyle plan, basically cutting way back on sugar and carbohydrates. Well, a month has come and gone since then and I have to say, I am very proud of him. He’s sticking to it! Tell everyone how you’re doing, Mike. MIKE Total weight loss is now 17 pounds. And we’ve been on the road every week since I started so it’s a pretty good regimen. If people want to hear why I started and an interview with the health expert who designed my program, they can catch it at https://rvlifestyle.com/208 But, bottom line, the pounds are really coming off and I am not hungry at all. In fact, I feel better than I have since… I can’t remember when. Meanwhile, here’s the RV News of the week. RV NEWS OF THE WEEK California’s “Slab City” off grid RV parking spot profiled by Smithsonian Many of you have heard of Slab City, a 640 acre former military base in the California desert about 50 miles north of the border that has become this weird off grid camping spot by RV boondockers, squatters, artists, snowbirds, migrants, survivalists, and homeless people. We talked about it in a podcast episode back in June. Well the strange encampment has caught the attention of the Smithsonian Institute magazine, which has published a photo essay on Slab City. It’s pretty interesting reading that we think will whet your appetite to check the place out. Tourist uncovers nearly 3-carat diamond in Arkansas state park A 71-year-old Colorado woman visiting Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park recently found a nearly 3-carat diamond. According to a story out last week, she initially thought it was glass. The diamond was lying on top of the park's diamond search area, and the article said it was not immediately clear what it is worth. To read more click here or here. Photographers selling their art work for non-profit organization to raise money for national parks Everyone knows about the funding shortage facing our national parks, but last week we came across a story of a project two professional photographers started to help. The two started Art Rangers, an on-line photo gallery of sorts, filled with breathtaking pictures of the more than 400 nationally preserved lands that are for sale. Anyone can buy print outs from this site and according to the webpage, 100 percent of the profit going to the National Parks Foundation, which is National Park Service's official charity. An 8 x 10 print costs $35, cell phone cases can also be ordered with the price around $40, and even a stretched canvas with prices generally more than $200. To see the Art Rangers website click here. To read a story about the project click here. Thousands watch annual buffalo round-up at Custer State Park Last weekend thousands of visitors headed to South Dakota's Custer State Park to watch the annual buffalo round up. Wranglers herded some 1,300 buffalo in the park to corrals for health evaluations. Calves are also vaccinated and branded. This year's round up included 55 wranglers on horse back, in pick-ups and utility vehicles. To read click here or here. This part of the program is brought to you by AllStays Pro, the best tool for RVers looking for places to camp; Harvest Hosts, a unique membership service that allows members to stay free overnight in wineries, farms and attractions across North America; and Overnight RV Parking, a subscription service that provides details for over 12,000 free or nearly free RV overnight parking locations. All three services offer greatly discounted rates to listeners of this podcast JENNIFER'S RV TIP OF THE WEEK Listener Heidi shares a great memory about camping, kindled by Jennifer’s tip two weeks ago about making donuts while camping. Jennifer's tip of the week is brought to you by RadPower Bikes ,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping To see our Rad Power Bikes in action, just click here. Visit WWW.RADPOWERBIKES.COM LISTENER RV QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK Questions, comments we addressed this week: My question is about the photo of the CS Adventurous RV towards the end of the book. There is a storage container in the hitch at the rear. Does this move somehow so that you can open the back doors? If you know anything about it, like who makes it, where to get it etc. I would really appreciate the information. Thanks. From Martha. It’s the StowAway 2 from https://www.stowaway2.com/ We just recently bought a motor home and discovered there was a mouse issue. We have gone through the entire motor home and used Kilz as well as replaced boards, etc. I can still smell the mice waste. Do you know of anything that will get rid of that smell? From Mari Yes. We use this small, portable air purification device in our RV - https://amzn.to/2O0vcA6 It plugs in, consumes very little energy and eliminates smoke, cooking smells and odors of all sorts. This part of the podcast is sponsored by Steinbring Motorcoach, Roadtrek’s newest dealer and a third generation family business in Minnesota’s beautiful Chain of Lakes region built on quality motorhomes and excellent pricing and service. RV LIFESTYLE INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK One of the things we RVers invariably ask ourselves at some point is, "How long will I be able to keep on doing this?" Well this week, in our interview of the week, we're going to hear from an RVer who says, "As long as you're moving, you're never too old." Here’s a video version of the interview: Here's a full transcript: Loren Phillips: Well, I'm 87. Well we started out with a tent in about 1970, and then graduated up to the Volkswagen Bus. And then the Volkswagen van again, and then the Roadtrek. I've had this Roadtrek since 97. Mike Wendland: How many miles are on this Roadtrek? Loren Phillips: It's just about to flip up to 314,000. Mike Wendland: 314,000 miles of memories the whole way. Loren Phillips: Yep, yep. I lost my wife in five years ago from breast cancer. She died suddenly.